James Health

Desiree Smith, MS, RN

desmith@portalesschools.com
James Elementary School Nurse
Office Hours M-F 7:45-3:30
(575)359-3675
Desiree Smith is the school nurse for James Elementary. Mrs. Smith has been a school nurse with Portales Schools since 2010. She has been a Registered Nurse since 2008, earning her Associate's Degree in Nursing from Clovis Community College, her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Eastern New Mexico University, and her Master's of Science in Education with an emphasis in School Health from Pittsburg State University.

Please be in touch at any time to share important information that may impact your child. Updating the phone numbers on your child’s school record so the nurse can always reach you is especially important.

Please notify their school nurse if their child has any medical problems such as allergies, experiencing a stressful situation, chronic illness, vision or hearing difficulties, recent surgery etc. The school nurses will work with the child’s physician, parent and other school personnel to meet special health needs in school so that the child may benefit from his/her educational program.Medication RequirementsDistrict policy does not permit students to self-administer OTC (i.e. Tylenol, Ibuprofen, allergy or cold medicine) or prescribed medications (daily meds) during school. Documentation from the child’s physician and parent/guardian signature is required for all medications administration during school hours. Medication forms are available here on the website.

INFLUENZA
Flu season is here! Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Each year flu viruses cause millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospital stays, and thousands or tens of thousands of deaths in the United States.

Please inform the school nurse if your child has been diagnosed with influenza.

HAND WASHINGHand hygiene at home, school and within our communities plays an essential role in helping to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. By reducing the spread of infection, we can also reduce the amount of school absences.

When to wash your hands:

before and after preparing food

before eating food

after using the toilet

before and after caring for someone who is sick

after handling pets, their food or treats

after touching garbage

How to wash your hands:

scrub your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds

rinse your hands under clean, running water

dry your hands with a clean towel

Screenings

Dental -Portales Municipal Schools has partnered with La Casa Family Health Center to provide dental care in the schools. Only students with a signed permission form on file will be seen by the dental team. Please contact the main office for dental forms.

HEAD LICE

Head lice are a common problem that usually affect school-aged children and their families. They can attach to the hair of anyone's head. It doesn't matter if the hair is clean or dirty. Head lice are also found worldwide in all different places, such as in homes or schools, in the country or city. It doesn't matter how clean, dirty, rich, or poor the place or person is.

Though head lice may be a nuisance, they don't cause serious illness or carry any diseases. If your child has lice, please be sure to inform the nurse at your child's school. If your child is found to have lice at school, you will be notified by the school nurse. Your child may return to school once he or she has been treated.

The Head Lice Power Point below provides some great information on lice and how to treat lice. The Head Lice Battle Plan provides step by step instructions on how to treat head lice.